Hi Karey,
Don’t worry about herbicide spraying. It’s insecticides and tank mixes with fungicides that are worrisome. Lots of people spray their conifers for various bugs. Bees don’t normally visit conifers, but drift can be a problem.
I tell my mentorees not to expect or take honey the first year, especially if starting with a package. Furthermore you can expect to feed heavily. Is the entrance hole to the outside? If so screen it so you don’t feed the whole neighborhood.
I’m teaching a course in December, Beginning Beekeeping is NOT for Dummies. It will include the Flow Hive.
Kristinahoney, I’ve kept your classes in mind, thinking of this Sunday morn maybe for Part A. But December and Sundays make it hard (actually winter driving to Boulder would always be touch and go for me, besides the hour drive). But let us know about any other class times in the future.
You’re in Boulder and that’s where I ordered my bees from (tho they actually came from Calif, I found out). Nuc order time is around the corner, where would you suggest ordering from?
I did surround the three sides and top of my hive with 2" foam - the bees sound happy and are eating the sugar/pollen fondant.
Hi Everyone!
In my neck of the woods it’s going to be warm enough this weekend to look for bee activity and give the hives a heft to see how much food is left. More on my Facebook page BeehaveLLC.
I’ll be teaching classes again! Here’s a brief summary and you can see more on my website http://beehavementoring.com or if it doesn’t redirect, then https://sites.google.com/view/beehavementoring
Beekeeping is NOT for Dummies
Sat 4 Feb 8:30 am -5:30 pm
Sat 11 Feb 8:30 am -5:30 pm
Sat 4 Mar 8:30 am -5:30 pm
Sat 11 Mar 8:30 am -5:30 pm
Early Spring Management - Feeding and Swarm Control
Thurs 2 Feb 7-9pm
Thurs 16 Feb 7-9pm
Starting Right with Packages, Nucs, Swarms
Thurs 2 Mar 7-9pm
Thurs 16 Mar 7-9pm
Fight the Mite - Varroa Management
Thurs 6 Apr 6-8pm
Thurs 13 Apr 6-8pm
SPECIAL OFFER! If you are within a 2 mile flight radius of my bees (see map below), you can attend for FREE! This is how concerned/committed I am about varroa’s effect on honey bee health and the importance of a neighborhood approach to managing it! Please let me know if you’re coming.
Spring isn’t far off. Maples will bloom and queens will start laying in February. Hang in there!
Cheers,
Kristina Williams
Boulder, CO
I’m updating then CSBA website with springtime info (I’m an advisor now). This is my first venture into a real website, but I think the basics are there, like where to get bees, equipment, information on bee health, and the bee club nearest you. Check it out. http://coloradobeekeepers.org
Cheers,
Kristina Williams
Boulder, CO
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Only 3 1/4 hours left for the Early Bee registration rates for the Colorado State Beekeepers Winter Meeting! After midnight tonight rates go up by $5 (and it will get harder to figure out how many lunches to preorder). Check out the program and register at http://coloradobeekeepers.org/2017-winter-bee-meeting.html
Bee There or Bee Square!
Kristina Williams
Mile Hive Bee Club Prez
BCBA, CSBA boards
Beehave LLC
Hi, Beekeepers! The 2018 National Western Stock Show will take place from January 6 - 21. The Boulder County Beekeepers Association provides a beekeepers’ booth, but I think all of us in the Metro Denver area did a great job of staffing it last year and I’d like to do it again. After all, many of those people are from the Denver area, which is our home territory. This gives us a unique opportunity to talk with thousands of people about the incredible honey bee. Public outreach helps us all with a wide variety of human interactions with bees — municipal ordinances about bees, neighbor relations, planting pollinator forage, applications of pesticides, purchase of honey and other bee products, and general good will and support for honey bees and other pollinators.
Please consider signing up for a shift here https://doodle.com/poll/kadfp9u9mztqiwwn . It’s great fun to go to the National Western Stock Show, plus you get to share your knowledge and passion for bees with anyone who walks by. Beginning beekeepers, don’t worry that you don’t know enough. You know lots more than the crowds that are just walking by, and your enthusiasm is infectious — sign up!
You can use this link to sign up, change shifts, check when your friends are working. Please try to stick to your shift so we don’t have to scramble at the last minute to cover holes. Thanks for stepping up, and for being part of our greater beekeeping and agricultural community.
The booth will be in the Education Hall, yellow brick building with black cameos of various stock animals (no bees) on the front.
Since this is an educational booth, we have tickets to cover your general admission and parking. We’ll distribute them once everyone is signed up. Along with being an educational booth, we’re prohibited from doing or displaying anything remotely commercial. So, no sales, business cards, advertising or displays of your wares, please. Bee clubs can display their cards and we’ll have the CSBA Why join a bee club? flyers with local clubs’ stickers on the back. (There’s also a stipulation that no drones are allowed, but we’re assuming that queens and workers are okay. ; )
Woopie-ty-ay-o!
Kristina Williams
Colorado State amnd Boulder County Beekeepers Ass’ns boards
Mile Hive Bee Club president
